The Nunavik Marine Region Impact Review Board (NMRIRB) was established as an Institution of Public Government upon signing and ratification of the Nunavik Inuit Land Claims Agreement (NILCA). Responsibility for the operation of the NMRIRB shall vest in the members of NMRIRB.

Mandate & Objectives

Primary Functions

To screen project proposals in order to determine whether or not a review is required;

To gauge and define the extent of the regional impacts of a project, such definition to be taken into account by the Minister in making his or her determination as to the regional interest;

To review the ecosystemic and socio-economic impacts of project proposals;

To determine, on the basis of its review, whether project proposals should proceed, and if so, under what terms and conditions, and then report its determination to the Minister; in addition, NMRIRB's determination with respect to socio-economic impacts unrelated to ecosystemic impacts shall be treated as recommendations to the Minister; and

To monitor projects in accordance with the provisions of Part 7 (NILCA).

NMRIRB Board

The NMRIRB currently consists of four (4) Board members that were appointed by the following agencies and organizations:

The Makivik Corporation appointed two (2) members,

The Government of Canada appointed one (1) member,

And the Government of Nunavut appointed one (1) member

The size and makeup of the membership of the NMRIRB is comprised of five (5) members, one of these five members serves as the Chairperson of the Board. As one (1) of the two (2) Makivik appointees serves as our Chairperson, a seat on the Board has been left vacant. Therefore, an additional appointment is currently in the works.

Board Members

Putulik Papigatuk was born in Igloo, and has lived all his life in Salluit, (formerly "Sugluk").He attended the Federal Day School in Sugluk up until grade five and attended Residential School in Churchill Manitoba in 1965-66. Putulik spent two years at Kuujjuarapik Trade School in 1968 and 1971.

Putulik worked for Falconbridge Nickel Mine and Asbestos Corporation between 1969 and 1973. He was a board member of Northern Quebec Inuit Association during the 1975 JBNQA agreement, and was involved and a member of the negotiating team for the NILCA agreement.

Putulik with his wife Nakasuk, and has five sons and two daughters that have blessed him with fifteen grandchildren. They all live in Salluit where he is also a church leader with the Salluit Anglican Church, and a board member of the Salluit Co-op Association.

Lucassie was born on the south end of Belcher Island. Lucassie works as a manager for Sanikiluaq Hunter & Trappers since 1978. He was appointed to the Nunavik Marine Region Impact Review Board in December 2009 and was nominated by the Government of Nunavut. Lucassie works on Traditional Knowledge regarding the environment and wildlife and has been since 1990, his study area is the James Bay, Hudson Bay and the Hudson Strait.

Lucassie is certified in three technical courses and lives in Sanikiluaq with his wife Nell and grand-daughter Hazel. He is the proud father of two daughters over the age of thirty and likes hunting in the summer.